Jason Calacanis' Retirement Could Save Newspaper

A couple of weeks ago Jason Calacanis announced he was retiring from blogging. This, from a guy who many consider the catalyst to professional blogging. In his follow up email (re-posted here by TechCrunch), Jason details his reasoning and shares some insight into why he prefers the 'more intimate' approach.

As you can imagine, there were plenty of critics who cried, "publicity stunt" and others who felt inspired by his change in direction. I may be naive to the seedy underworld of mega-blogging, but I tend to identify with Jason and see his message as valid. These days it seems it's become more about getting dugg, stumbled, tossing out the link-bait and hoping people will reddit. And as Jason points out, the trolls can ruin an honest post meant for a specific audience with a one-line below-the-belt shot without being held accountable.

Email as the Medium
The thing that really resonated with me wasn't the trouble with blogging, it was the promise for something more genuine. His direct-to-reader delivery via email subscription is nothing new, but the reason may be.

From Jason's email: You and I now have a direct relationship, and I’m cutting the mailing list off today so it stays at ~1,000 folks. I’ll add selectively to the list, but for now I’m more interested in a deep relationship with the few of you have chosen to make a commitment with me. Perhaps some of you will become deep, considered colleagues and friends–something that doesn’t happen for me in the blogosphere any more.

Much of my inspiration for doing this comes from what I’ve seen with John Brockman’s Edge.org email newsletter. When it enters my inbox I’m inspired and focused. I print it, and I don’t print anything. The people that surround him are epic, and that’s my inspiration–to be surrounded by exceptional people.

It's not about Blogging, It's about Community
What hasn't been mentioned here is that it's about community. The thing that's been lacking from the mega-blog is niche community. Criticism from like-minded people is, in my opinion, welcomed and validated- it's the disengaged fly-bys that can take the wind out of good conversation.

My blog is intertwined with our network. While not every user is a member of the media or a PR pro, so far, they are all there to be engaged. These are the same people who would indeed subscribe to my posts via email much like those Jason Calacanis has now.

Newspapers Take Note: Community is Key
Stop wasting time worrying about what's happening as more sites try to spam "news" to more people. Stop waiting for the implosion and think about your specific newspaper community. I've blogged about social media opportunities for newspaper before (See: Newspapers Still Missing The Benefits of Social Media) and I will continue to do so in hopes of offering some perspective to a medium I value, and was once a part of.

If the blogger of all bloggers isn't satisfied with the the state of blogging, maybe it's a hint at the direction newspaper and other mainstream media should be looking. It's happening already. See how PitchEngine member, Justin Williams and The News Journal in Wilmington, Deleware have been able to inject online community into real world community and benefit from engaging with readers online and off. See how David Cohn and Spot.us are introducing the concept of Community Funded Reporting.

Like Jason, people will tire of the fast paced, disengaged methods of news delivery happening today. Most people still want to curl up with a book, have cup of coffee over a newspaper or read a magazine on the plane. They especially want to be engaged in what's happening close to home, in their community, whether it's online or offline -posted on a bulletin board in a hallway.

That said, there are methods that seem to be popping up that could also bridge the gap and help "personalize" the experience. I appluad Jason Goldberg's approach with his newest game-changer SocialMedian. Those of you on PitchEngine received special invites early on, but it's certainly worth a return visit if you haven't been there in a while. Socialmedian is a social news network that connects people with personalized news and information.

"Our hunch is that people with common topical interests can help each other filter and discover personally relevant news." It's a great formula and seems to be picking up speed.

Retrospect

Social media shouldn't be about eliminating tradition. In some cases, it's going to happen, but in a survival of the fittest kind of manner. In other cases, like the launch of PitchEngine in a few days, social media may help bring traditional media closer to next generation methods of engagement. Whatever the scenario, the game is changing and it's yet to be determined how it will end up.

Maybe Jason Calacanis can put his emotion into keeping newspaper a "more intimate" thing than a blog post. Or maybe newspaper should look at why it's working. Hmmm...sign up to receive my local news of choice via email or some other easy-method of delivery? Seems pretty simple doesn't it? Generate ad revenue by targeting readers with specialized interests? Could be a no-brainer. Thank you Jason Calacanis for shedding some light on the state of media.

Original post on the PitchEngine Network.

How Social Media PR Wins Journalists

PitchEngine member Kevin Dugan, shared this article from the New York Times in his friendfeed room, The Bad Pitch Blog and it got me thinking - It's time public relations got back basics, with this new fangled social media.

The article, Need Press? Repeat: ‘Green,’ ‘Sex,’ ‘Cancer,’ ‘Secret,’ ‘Fat’ tells how a press release bearing a sexy headline about a toxic shower curtain caught the attention of major news outlets including ABCNews.com, U.S. News & World Report, The Daily News in New York, MSNBC.com and The Los Angeles Times, according to the New York Times.

PR consultants and press distribution services chimed in with their tips and tricks for using keywords in their PR methodology. The president of PR Newswire, David B. Armon, talked about his company's keyword density tool and elaborates on the statistics of recent PR trigger words.

Since when did the PR campaign become more about a mathematical equation of keywords and hits-per-click than actually serving the media? It's no wonder 'PR spam' is a term thrown around newsrooms and posted on blogs these days. With distribution services adding "sophistication" to the mix, many PR pros have skipped the basics in favor of an easier "point-and-shoot" method of content delivery. This is where social media becomes a game-changer.

Social Media and PR
Harry Hoover, another PitchEngine member, is one of the masterminds behind My Creative Team's Twittering Journalists Wiki which hosts a running list of journalists and news outlets using Twitter. Not only is the list a benefit to PR pros, it could lead to more journalists adopting similar methods of less-intrusive communications.

As more media members begin to use and experience social media communication tools like Twitter and FriendFeed, the disconnect between media and PR pros will weaken. Journalists interested in receiving updates from a credible PR agency will choose to 'follow' them, and PR pros will be forced to (once again) engage with media, not just push content at them.

As PR pros, this is our opportunity to PR It Forward and help urge our journalist friends and media contacts into social media. Once there, the process becomes more beneficial for each of us. More content, more dialog and less of the rigid traditional press methods are necessary.

Distribution Takes a Turn
As Social Media Press Releases the TwitPitch, and MicroPR become more the norm, spamming your release seems less and less attractive, doesn't it? Current distribution methods may be super-sized and streamlined, but are they sending the right message to journalists? And are you benefiting from the relationships generated? Not likely. Time will tell how press distribution will change in the next few years, but one thing is certain, like newspapers and other media outlets they serve, wires will have to adapt to survive. What do you think, are current press distribution methods effective?

Monitoring Over Tracking
New start-ups like Radian6 allow PR agencies and brands to monitor conversations and analyze them internally. Unlike distribution services, it's not about how many deliveries, it's about what's being said. Kind of like quality over quantity.

The future of PR is in our hands. Journalists are already discovering the hardships of tradition in a changing industry, it's simply a matter of time before PR as an industry will change with it. Are you ready?

More Social Media PR at PitchEngine. Connect with me on facebook, twitter and friendfeed.

Twitter that Pitch: Introducing Pitch140

With a rapidly growing number of media members using Twitter it's high time we PR pros put the reigns on run-on emails with attached pdf and word format press releases. Buckle down and dial-in the details for the most concise pitch of your life- the Twitter Pitch.

I've blogged about the idea of Pitching Media Via Twitter before and how the concept can probably be credited to Stowe Boyd's and his first call for the TwitPitch. the father of PR 2.0, Brian Solis, formalized the TwitPitch with his concept for MicroPR, an innovative approach to submitting and then monitoring using TweetScan or my favorite, Summize. I'm certain Brian has much more to come with the @micropr, so stay tuned for that.

One thing I think Brian left out was the inclusion of a critical link- the link to your SMR. No need for a clunky email attachment when you can do Todd Defren proud by delivering a powerful social media release to media in one mouse click.

Why the hype?
I don't think this is result of the "shiny new tool" syndrome. From a journalists perspective, it could be the best pitch delivery mechanism of all time. 140 words, that's all you get to get your message across to media who are using Twitter, and are open to receiving your pitch.

What if they're not using Twitter?
Be the one to open the door and hand them the social media key to the new universe. I talked about the importance for PR pros to share and mentor in PR it Forward a couple weeks ago. Take it to heart and spend time teaching for the greater good.

Twitter Pitch Ethics
We've heard the PR spam conversations around the web time and again, but most of the dialog is around email. Email pitches can be a nightmare, but the a Twitter Pitch is much less obtrusive. If you're a tweeter you know what I mean. I personally follow a couple hundred people. I'm obviously not interested in each comment every person has, so they just roll-off the page and are replaced by newer, fresher, more interesting ones (so I like to think). For a journalists there's no opening, downloading, deleting, etc., A Twitter Pitch comes and goes like a interview at a trade show, only less tiring. With that said, you still have to be careful about your approach. I'm a believer that anyone can screw up a good thing, so take the time to tie-up all the loose ends. Going to pitch REAL news? Then make sure your press materials or SMR is ready to go the moment you pitch. Twitter doesn't change the process, just the method for the pitch.

Here's an example of a recent Twitter Pitch:
@exampleCampingWriter I've got the world's first Propane Coffee Maker coming out in August, 8 cups of goodness. Want some?

Pitch140
Alright, let's see what you've got. Introducing Pitch140, The Best Pitch in PR.
Pitch me via Twitter @pitchengine and include the hashtag #pitch140, or post it in the comment field below in less than 140 words. I'll follow up in a couple weeks with the results and the winner of the first Pitch140 contest. You can monitor the Pitch140 entries on the homepage of PitchEngine. Good luck!

Original post on PitchEngine

Associated Press: Go Social or Go Away?

On the heels of the heavy-handed announcement by the Associated Press to strictly enforce copyright guidelines on bloggers, Jim Kennedy, vice president and strategy director of The A.P., decided he and his group would "rethink" their policies toward bloggers, this according to the New York Times.

Kennedy was quoted in the Times article, “We don’t want to cast a pall over the blogosphere by being heavy-handed, so we have to figure out a better and more positive way to do this,” Mr. Kennedy said.

So, here we are in the midst of a crisis for newspapers and a crossroads for journalists and The A.P. shows they've made real progress in adapting to a changing mediascape, right? Obviously, not the case. Not only did they take a bad approach, they showed they're just now thinking about how to approach the "blogosphere".

The A.P. relies solely on journalists to feed their massive news engine. As a local reporter, you receive compensation for every article that is picked-up. I've received a few of these checks in my time and from my experience, it's nothing to count on as real income if you're a local journalist.

Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0 makes a great point:

Take the story of flooding in Iowa, for example. The AP is covering this story extensively, as you can see in this Google News search result. But local news media in Iowa is also covering the story extensively, as you can see in this search limited to Iowa sources — the story is happening in their own backyard, giving these local sources a unique perspective and knowledge.

So if a blogger wanted to discuss the Iowa floods and needed a source to cite, they can easily find an original local source instead of the AP story. And they can think of the link and the traffic they send as a contribution to the local news outlet’s original reporting, particularly the local newspapers struggling with new economic realities.

The backlash is only just brewing and the boycotting has already begun. If I were in Mr. Kennedy's office, here's what I'd offer up:

The A.P. Goes Social
With the right mindset (and some creative hiring/consulting) I believe The A.P. could adapt and capitalize on their product by incorporating and engaging in social media. Here's a few topics of discussion for those BIG board meetings coming up at The Associated Press.

Step 1
The Associated Press becomes a resource for news organizations as a whole.
Media has relied on The A.P. since the beginning of time (almost), so why not remain a resource? Not by simply providing content, but by providing solutions. As it sits now, journalists are not going to be the ones to reshape the news business. Corporate news organizations big and small will have to take steps to make it happen. There is no better organization than The A.P. to become a hero and remain an effective resource for media. I've blogged previously about how newspapers could integrate community and social media in general into their business models and actually make money. While I'm not the expert, I can tell you that the response to that article has been stellar and examples of Wired Journalists and Exploding Newsrooms are cropping up everywhere. If The A.P. can't lead the charge, maybe these progressive journalists are the answer? Or maybe Community Funded Reporting will replace The A.P. entirely one day?

Step 2
The "Sociated Press" seeks news from everywhere. The A.P could become the syndicate for community reporters- people, not journalists, who opt to send their photos, video and news directly to The A.P. instead of posting it on Youtube, Flickr and the like. Editors would spend their time verifying the source, but users who provide breaking content would be compensated just as journalists are today. If Tech Geek Blogger Robert Scoble can beat CNN to the China Earthquake story by a full hour, there's something to be said for these guys in the "blogosphere" - as Kennedy puts it.

Step 3
Didn't anyone teach you to share? The irony of this is that journalists aren't suffering because a blogger is referencing their story, in fact, I'm guessing many journalists would prefer the news is spread and discussed just as they intended when they wrote it. So why not share it? Why not become the resource for all these news websites and blogs by offering up your own widgets -sponsored by advertising- and designed to spread your resource to the masses. News organizations can still "pay to play" and The A.P. could foster a new relationship with readers, not just media outlets. Require bloggers to link back to The A.P., but don't forbid the inclusion of A.P. content generated by someone who doesn't stand to lose a thing.

I don't like to criticize things unless I have some alternatives or solutions. I am however, a huge proponent for embracing social media and running with it. I can see the promise for journalists and news organizations and am hopeful for the future of mainstream media.

If you're reading this, you too understand that the time is now for stepping up the game. So, engage in the conversations happening online and spend your energy on ideas because that's what we're good at.

Original post on PitchEngine | The Social Media PR Revolution

Quick Start to Social Media Change

Since I started blogging about social media and PR, I've managed to spark a lot of discussion around some seemingly overlooked opportunities for newspapers, journalists, brands and agencies to embrace and integrate social media. Sometimes I just stir things up, but my goal is to generate some practical methods for integration.

We all understand that early adopters (like you) will set the tone for the future of social media as it relates to each of your industries. Here's a more concise, down and dirty list of topics and potential solutions brought to the table at PitchEngine.

FOR BRANDS

Public Relations:
The social media release and distribution methods like FriendFeed and Twitter will change the game.
PR spam and blanket online distribution methods will be diminished by true engagement with media contacts open to a new form of PR delivery and conversation. No more printed press kits, no more attached pdf files or hard copy releases. It's not just about comment-enabled releases, but also delivering budget and time-strapped journalists the assets they require via new methods. From high-res images and b-roll to one-click product sample requests and no more voicemails. PR will drive social media adoption for mainstream media by introducing journalists via these new, more concise pitch mechanisms.

Advertising
While I've been frustrated at the lack of engagement in advertising methods, I think the lines between PR and Advertising are going to become a lot fuzzier. Where does social media fit - PR or Advertising? Effective social media takes both time and money. Building a Facebook page doesn't make your brand "social" either does having an RSS feed. The biggest change facing the Media Plan is going to be spending less money on traditional sources and openning up the door for some creative social media. That said, PR is going to play a big role. The engagement required for effective social media integration can't be done like advertising. The conversations and "friend" collection has to be authentic. The jury is still out on this one. I'm watching brands like Popeye's Chicken who has started to Twitter to fans. More to come on this topic later in the week on PitchEngine.

Internal Marketing
One of the best ways to get the brand on board with social media is to start internally. My first foray was a PR blog designed specifically for our sales team and their buyers and dealers. Each time our brand gets good placement, wins an award or does something grand- our sales force is updated via RSS, email and blog post. As you may know, there are many social tools out there. Find the ones that suit your corporation and start simple. The more understanding by your entire company, the better chance you'll have to develop a social media program outside the corporate walls.

FOR MEDIA

Newspapers:
While it's happening only with select newspapers, I believe the future is about creating community. What better way to connect communities big and small than newspaper? My recommendations include registering users and creating groups of people responsible for reporting on their specific topics. People would subscribe to subsets of the news. For example, the coach of the local sports team may blog about games and fans interested will subscribe to that news which is syndicated by the newspaper. Ad revenue would be generated by targeted ads aimed at sports fans, etc. This is a small example- See more in Newspapers Missing the Benefits of Social Media

Television News:
Yes, even television can benefit from early adoption of social media. Twittering reporters in the field could bring up-to-the-second newsbits to the lower corner of the newscast during certain breaking stories. User-submitted video, uploaded directly to the newsroom could be utilized for a user-generated newscast segment, or collected and edited for inclusion. Perhaps real-time viewer comments during specific segments would help engage viewers, building a stronger connection between viewer and tv station. There's work to be done here- who will spark it?

If you're like me, you love the promise and new dynamic social media brings to the game. Each of us will play a role in how it evolves and takes shape in the industries we participate in. There are great ideas floating around, and some much more brilliant minds behind them. Be engaged and find ways to take their knowledge to your own individual applications. Share your ideas, and accept the criticism that may follow- you have nothing to lose.

Original post on PitchEngine | The Social media PR Revolution

The New PR: Clean, Green, Smart

By now, you should know I'm a big proponent of social media for both PR and journalists alike. On the PR side, this new revolution is about more than just increased efficiency and open dialog, it's also a change in lifestyle for PR pros and an overall greening of the industry.

The Scene
We've all attended a press conference or trade show and seen the heaps of press kits adorning the folding tables in make-shift press rooms. Heavy 200# folders piled high, each filled with numerous printed (traditional) press releases, image CDs and a catalog or two for good measure. Watching writers stroll up and down the rows of press kits, they pick through materials grabbing this and that, rarely collecting each mammoth package of contents.

The Clean
In walks the savvy PR pro armed with nothing more than a handshake and the skills to pay the bills. After sharing their successful pitch (as concisely as a 140 word tweet) they collect the writer's contact information and bid them a friendly, "good luck." Before the writer is out of sight, savvy PR pro has already use their smart phone to email them a link to a powerful social media release full of more meat than the comparable printed press kit the writer passed up anyway.

The Green
"Paperless" PR may not be the answer to the world's environmental problems, but it can certainly make a dent. By eliminating printed press materials you're not only saving the company a healthy chunk of money, you're making it easier on journalists. Take the time to share your social media release or newsroom with your marketing team, client, boss or whoever, to ensure they see the benefits of simplifying the process. If you really think about it, is there even a need to print a press release?

The Smart
Whether you deliver your materials via USB jump drive, through email, or via a compelling Twitter Pitch journalists will appreciate the effort and simplicity. You're making their job easier- cut and paste quotes, high-res images or b-roll, all available with a mouse-click, rather than a phone call and three voicemails. You'll be more efficient in your delivery and more effective with your pitch if all the elements are in place beforehand.

Social Media and PR go hand-in-hand. A big part of this thing we're all so in love with are the new tools that are taking communication and data transfer to a whole new level. Join our growing network at PitchEngine where PR pros and media will continue to share and develop new methods for implementing and utilizing social media to better their industries.

Original post on PitchEngine | The Social Media Revolution

Social Media Could Choke Newspaper Entirely

Last week I suggested those of us in the PR industry take time to PR It Forward. My thought is that those of us who are utilizing social media should share our knowledge (in a non-threatening way) with our closest journalist contacts. Show them how to use social media tools to assist them in their daily work and help them discover brand new ways to use it in their media professions. It is simply "good PR" for a PR pro, but more importantly, it's taking small steps to help market social media to more users.

Wikipedia defines social media as an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understandings.

In essence, it's using technology to communicate and interact in new ways and share elements like text, photos, audio and videos. It's no wonder PR is in the middle of the mix of channels adopting social media at a rapid pace. After all, it's our job to provide journalists everything they need to spread the word to their audience. The elements have to be delivered, and social media is offering more avenues than ever before. Moreover, social media opens up a new channel for our clients and brands- a direct channel to their end consumer.

From a brand and client perspective (the ones spending the money) it's an eye-opening opportunity to reach your consumer directly. Why rely on a journalist to portray your client in a positive light when you can immediately hand-deliver the news to the people who care to know about it? Why buy an ad, when you can recruit a strong following of friends and fans who vouch for your brand or product? It's like asking a brand if they'd rather sell directly to consumers via their website and make full margin, or depend on a dealer to sell the products and take their cut before you get yours. As more companies identify niche social media opportunities to reach their consumers, friends, and fans the amount of money being piped into this "trendy" thing (as some skeptics refer to it) could increase exponentially. Down goes advertising dollars, up goes social marketing dollars.

Every company in America is already talking about how much they spend "online", the innovative ones are talking about how they can spend more money in social media to reach their consumers directly and in most cases voluntarily.

From a journalist's perspective it's a frightening time. Traditional media is being threatened more and more as people begin to find their news in new ways and faster than ever before. Instead of a newspaper editor or television producer writing the show, we are all writing our own show. Instead of looking to printed publications (especially newspapers) people are seeking their news online in a more focussed and filtered manner.

Corporate newspapers like the New York Times are making big waves with new and innovative approaches to Media 2.0, but what about the majority of smaller news organizations? When will they wake up to social media? Some journalists are already doing something about it, while others dismiss the notion of a new media scape. Mainstream media must find a way to be relevant in new media to maintain their piece of the marketing pie. I offered up some suggestions a while back which were widely read, but hardly commented on.

Engage, adopt and get social. There will be no better time than the present.

Journalists what do you think - Are there examples of newspapers engaging in social media and succeeding? Is social media a trend or the future of global news media?

Original post on PitchEngine | The Growing Social Media PR Revolution